


Always By My Side

by honeytt



Category: Original Work
Genre: Childhood Friends, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Gay Male Character, Gen, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Racism, Slice of Life, no beta we die like men, when I get to the kinky shit the tags will definitely get dirty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-03-31 16:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13978884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeytt/pseuds/honeytt
Summary: A telling of Andrew and Alessandro's lives from friendship to eternal partners and lovers - eventually parents, as well!





	Always By My Side

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I love my OCs too much, I always try to write them in different scenarios, AUs, you name it. Super self-indulgent story, and if y'all not really here for the story just know I do plan on writing tons of smut bc I also like mpreg, sooo there's that! Comments/kudos appreciated!
> 
> I'd also like to take prompts, if anyone wants to suggest any. I'll write pretty much anything, as long as my two gay OCs are horny and very much in love with each other :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew's childhood and his first meeting with his future husband, Alessandro.

At the bright age of five, Andrew began kindergarten after he pleaded to his parents that he was old enough to go. He was overjoyed after they smiled and nodded knowingly, entertained by their child’s antics. Backpack full with stuffed toys and snacks, too big on his small frame, Andrew dashed into his first experience with education. 

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it to the fullest.

What wasn’t there to enjoy about playing around and hanging out with other kids? Sure, he didn’t make many friends, but those who were enticed by the potato pancake he brought one day had made sure to stick close. ‘ _It’s called a kartoffelpuffer!_ ’ he had said enthusiastically. He ignored the odd looks he received and made sure to give each of his buddies a bite.

He was happy with his life, as happy as any five year old could be. As he progressed into first and then second grade, he was praised for being an excellent student. His teachers would make comments sometimes, too.

“ _Andrew’s pretty good, for a German kid. He speaks English like he’s fluent, maybe one of his parents is American._ ”

“ _Maybe the other students helped him out, he’s a little young, don’t you think?_ ”

Andrew didn’t know what they were talking about, of course he knew English! His parents spoke English, didn’t the teachers know that? They also spoke German and Hungarian - they were so cool! His German was good, but his Hungarian was lacking. Oh well he’d learn eventually.

By the time he was in third grade, Andrew learned that no one knew how to pronounce his real name.

Gina, one of the girls he had offered his potato pancake to when he was in kindergarten, looked at Andrew weirdly when he offered his chocolate pudding to her one day in class.

“Do you want some schokoladenpudding, Gee?” Andrew waited patiently for her reply.

“S-Sch… What? Pudding?” She looked at the brown colored pudding and realized what he’d meant to say. “Oh, you mean chocolate pudding! Why’d you have to say it all weird?"

“But… it’s almost the same anyway. You understood me, right?”

“Duh! Next time just say it normally, like you should, okay? German’s just too weird, you know? All the kids think you sound weird, and it’s even weirder cause you don’t have an accent or anything in English. We didn’t even know Andrew wasn’t your real name ‘til now! It’s… André Lee or something. Whatever, Andrew’s cool, too. Thanks for the pudding, see ya!” Gina smiled brightly and ran away to catch up on recess.

“It’s András… Len András, she didn’t even get the order right,” he muttered to himself. Andrew walked back to class to eat in solitude and never offered Gina or any of their classmates food again.

After the “G-incident”, as he liked to call it, Andrew never introduced his given name to anyone. If they didn’t know it prior to meeting him, then they’d only call him Andrew. He was used to it anyway. In the fourth grade, he didn’t have many friends left, and it killed him to be so lonely when he was great at socializing. He spent most of his time during recess reading or eating in peace, always warmed by the homemade food his mother never failed to pack. Andrew picked up a chocolate pudding that was stuffed inside his lunch, and smiled. His father never forgot to pack those, too.

“Vati really likes schokoladenpudding, huh?”

“What’s that?”

Startled by the sudden intrusion of someone’s voice, Andrew dropped his pudding in shock. He stared at a little boy who looked at the fallen pudding like it was the best thing he’d ever found. The boy’s eyes met his own, and suddenly Andrew felt like he had also found the best thing in the world. His hair was light brown and long enough for him to be mistaken as a girl. He was dark skinned, which only made his eyes pop out more, as they were the lightest shade of green he had ever seen.  _What a pretty kid, his parents must be models or something_ , he thought.

“What?”

“Oh, you dropped it! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… I’ll buy you a n-new one…”

“With what money?” he asked, louder than he intended. When the boy guiltily look up at him, Andrew instantly felt regretful. “I didn’t mean to shout, sorry… Look, it’s okay, really! Um, what’s your name?”

The boy still looked guilty, and Andrew wished he’d never said anything at all.

“Ale… Alessandro.” He noted that the boy said it with a different accent, but kept it in the back of his mind.

“So, Ale. You look younger than me, how old are you?”

“I’m seven, in second grade. You’re… Andrew?” At Andrew’s questioning gaze, Ale immediately fumbled to explain himself. “T-The older kids mention you! I w-wouldn’t know your name if not f-for that…”

“Well yeah, I’m Andrew. I’m also an older kid, though you probably knew that. Nine, fourth grade.” Alessandro smiled politely, a barely noticeable smile, and Andrew hoped to see him smile wider some time. “You don’t have to buy me pudding or anything, by the way. I have tons at home, my dad buys them.”

Reminded by the fact that he came with a reason, Alessandro brightened up. The young boy looked like he might combust with all that sudden energy, but he managed to refrain himself from actually doing so. “The pudding! I heard you say it, t-that’s why I came by. You said something else, too?”

Immediately, Andrew’s good mood spiraled downwards. Did this kid hear him speak German? Was he going to make fun of him, regardless of how innocent he looked?

“No, I didn’t. You must have bad hearing.”

Sensing Andrew’s sudden foul mood, Ale carefully approached him. “Y-You did… You said, um… Vati? The pudding part, too. Y-You had said… said it different…”

Andrew noticed Alessandro’s anxiety and slight shift in accent, and he really didn’t want to make this kid cry, but he couldn’t help but feel hurt about his questions.

“I didn’t! I didn’t  _say_  anything, and you didn’t  _hear_ anything, got it?! Don’t go around telling anyone anything, or I’ll make sure the teachers do something about it!”

“Sorry, s-sorry, I’m… I won’t say anything, I promise!” Alessandro began tearing up, and before Andrew could take his words back, the boy furiously rubbed his eyes in an effort not to cry and ran away. Andrew watched him run away until he could no longer see him. With a sigh, he cleaned up the spoiled pudding, packed away the rest of his lunch, and returned to class with a heavy heart.

****

Alessandro didn’t make an appearance until two weeks after he ran away. Andrew hoped to see him during recess, but the boy wouldn’t show up. He thought maybe he scared him off, which was the complete opposite of what he wanted. He was just sensitive whenever someone brought up anything to do with his nationality - he’s had enough of it.

Andrew was about to take a bite of his lunch when he noticed Alessandro peeking around the corner. He huffed and pretended not to notice, to see if the younger boy would approach him. After waiting a while, he turned back to look, confused that he wasn’t coming. He had disappeared, much to Andrew’s disappointment. He comforted himself with the knowledge that at least the kid was still around and continued eating his food. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned back, pleased to see Alessandro before him. The boy wringed his hands nervously, occasionally tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. It was clear that he didn’t know what to say, or perhaps he still felt fearful of Andrew. He couldn’t fault him, he  _did_ leave him with a scary first impression.

“You’re back,” he said softly, hesitant to raise his voice in case Alessandro ran away again.

“Y-Yeah... “ the boy answered. It didn’t seem he had anything else to say, so Andrew continued to speak.

“I’m sorry about before, Ale. I’m a total jerk, raising my voice against a kid. Do… Do you forgive me?”

Alessandro looked at him, a contemplative expression on his face. Andrew feared for a second that he could never take back what he said, and he would’ve wasted an opportunity of friendship right then and there. However, Alessandro seemed delighted at the thought of becoming actual, good friends with him, and his heart began to race at the idea.

“Yes! Yes, I forgive you! You’re really nice to me, o-other kids would’ve totally ignored me if I went near them after something bad happened…”

Andrew frowned. Did other students treat Alessandro badly? He seemed kind enough, maybe a little too curious for his own good.

“Well, of course I had to see you to apologize. I’m not that much of a jerk. It’s just…” He froze, unsure of whether he should talk about his bad experiences or not. He  _was_ just meeting a random boy for the second time, after all. Clearing his throat, Andrew figured he could spill out his emotions at least this time. “It’s been rough, having people laugh at you or give you weird looks when you speak a different language. I look different, too. I’m… albino, so is my dad, so my hair’s almost white in color, my skin’s super pale - it’s actually pretty sensitive. My eyes are red, god I look so weird, no wonder the other students avoid me.”

Andrew could feel his tears falling, but did nothing to stop them. He knew he’d start crying the moment he decided to talk about his feelings. At some point he started talking to himself, completely forgetting that Alessandro was listening. Glancing at him, Andrew was stunned that he was crying, too.

“W-Why are you also crying?! I didn’t… didn’t say anything offensive, right?”

“That’s… Andrew, that’s so sad…! Y-You must be the nicest kid at school if you had to listen to b-bullies say mean things and live with it…” Alessandro sobbed, his little heart crying out for someone who experienced so much pain at such a young age. He couldn’t comprehend why anyone would become a bully, but a boy older than him, who looked to be tough, was baring his soul out at the moment.

Andrew huffed out a laugh, comforted by Alessandro’s sympathy. “I’m not the nicest kid, just means I’m… durable, I guess.” He wiped his tears and noticed the boy was still sobbing. “Come here, you can’t be the crying one, that’s supposed to be only me.” Andrew used his sleeve to gently clean Alessandro’s face, heart fluttering at how pretty the other boy was at a closer range. Shaking his head to rid of any thoughts, he finished wiping away tears and patted the boy’s shoulder.  _What am I going to do with you, Ale…_ he thought.

“Also, what I said the other day… ‘Vati’ means dad, or daddy, and ‘schokoladenpudding’ is chocolate pudding. It’s German - my dad is German and my mom is Hungarian, so I also speak both languages.”

“German? That’s really cool! I-It sounds similar to English. Can you speak more?”

Flustered by the request, Andrew spluttered out a quick response. “O-Of course! I’m fluent! You really… really wanna hear?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, I suppose I can say some things…”

They spent most of recess together, Andrew excitedly speaking German phrases and translating them to an equally excited Alessandro, who nodded along to everything and even tried to sound out the words, immersed in learning a new language from his new friend. Near the end of their break, the two boys sat side by side, content to bask in silence after their passionate discussion. Andrew broke the silence, however, by asking a question that weighed on his mind since the first time he saw Alessandro.

“Say, Ale, where are you from? You also look different than the rest of the kids here, no offense. You also… stutter a little when you talk, is English not your first language?”

“Oh, um…” Alessandro blushed, unfamiliar with having the conversation be focused on him. “I’m from Italy. My papa is from Spain and my mamma is from South Italy. So I’m half and half? I-I’ve learned English for a while, but s-sometimes I stutter, it’s… annoying.”

“Hey don’t say that, at least you’re learning. Wait, you’re also trilingual, then! Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Andrew gasped, suddenly realizing what that meant. “Speak to me! Spanish and Italian, I mean! Oh god, I never would’ve thought I’d meet someone else like me.” He was giddy, elated at the fact that he had a chance to meet Alessandro and get to know him.

Alessandro blushed further, nervous about speaking his native languages yet happy that there was someone who wanted to listen. He has always been a shy person, expressing his happiness with small smiles and steering away from people who made him uncomfortable, refusing to speak to others without being spoken to first. It never occured to Alessandro that the older boy in front of him had already taken up a small space inside his heart, and surprisingly, he was okay with that. He wanted to get to know Andrew better.

“Okay, I’ll start easy. Me llamo Alessandro, tengo siete años, y tú me haces sonreír.”

Andrew looked at him questioningly, but his warm expression never faltered. “Yeah? Was that Spanish or Italian?”

“Spanish. I’ll say the same thing in Italian. Mi chiamo Alessandro, ho sette anni e mi fai sorridere.”

“So you repeated your name, did you say something like ‘My name’s Alessandro’?”

“You’re right! I also said I’m seven.”

“You said something else, though.”

Alessandro thought he could get away without translating the last part, but it seemed Andrew noticed. He couldn't believe he said something that made his heart flutter, even if Andrew didn’t understand it…. yet.

“I… I did.” He was a bad liar anyway. “Um… I said, that you… you make me smile.” Alessandro quickly ducked and hid his face with his hands, hair falling forward and concealing his appearance further. He would squeal if he wasn’t focused on trying not to make a sound, afraid something embarrassing would come out.

Andrew blushed, touched that Alessandro smiled so easily around him, regardless of it being their second meeting. He was about to say something in reply, anything to let Alessandro know that he returned the feeling, this feeling of finally being heard and understood and - dare he say,  _loved_ \- but the bell shattered his thoughts and alerted students to return to their classrooms. Alessandro gave him a sad smile, a gesture to let him know he also didn’t want to part, and bid him farewell. For the second time, Andrew watched Alessandro skitter away, but this time with the promise of returning.

Andrew grew to love every recess after that, his heart never yearning for another after meeting Alessandro - a kind, young boy with a curious mind.

****

Andrew’s parents, Gilbert and Elizabeta, attended his fifth grade promotion, excited to see their son finish elementary school and move on. They cheered loudly when he walked across the stage and hugged him after the ceremony. The school decided to host a small after party inside the auditorium, and everyone was welcome to eat and share refreshments, but Gilbert insisted they go home. Elizabeta agreed and they were going to leave soon, but they let Andrew wander around for a while after he claimed he needed to find his friend Alessandro. Both parents knew of the younger boy, as Andrew never stopped talking about him at home and sometimes invited him to sleep over. They waited for Andrew to find Alessandro, but their son was taking too long. Concerned, Gilbert went ahead to find him while Elizabeta stayed behind. She noticed the other parents and kids didn’t stay too long either, and the auditorium was quickly emptying out. She was becoming impatient and was about to seek out her son as well, when she felt a gentle tug on her dress. Looking down, she saw Alessandro peeking up at her, eyes wide with surprise at encountering Andrew’s mom.

“What are you doing here, dear? Andrew’s been looking for you, you know?”

“H-He has? Sorry, teachers were talking to me s-so… I got held up in class a little.”

Elizabeta observed the boy, noting how he had gotten slightly taller since the last time she saw him. He was still young, just finishing his third year of elementary school, but it was surprising that he was growing already. Elizabeta knew he’d grow up to be tall, maybe just as tall as Andrew would be some day. For the time being, however, Alessandro was considerably shorter than her son and probably wouldn’t catch up to him until middle school or early high school. He was a really sweet kid, always trying to do his best and helping his elders without needing to be asked. She knew he was extremely shy and sensitive, though, to the point of isolating himself in small corners if he felt the need to when stressed. She almost had a heart attack once when she found Alessandro huddled in the corner of her bedroom, crying and shaking. Elizabeta found out through Gilbert that the boy had been yelled at by some scary guy when both boys were playing outside. The guy had roughly grabbed Alessandro after accidentally bumping into him, and the poor boy had cried almost immediately, alerting Gilbert of the situation which led to some confrontation. The rest had been sorted out, but Alessandro ran off into her room and sat there for approximately two hours before he could be coaxed out. He had looked worn out, and that’s when Elizabeta decided to send him home.

She knew he was vulnerable and sometimes gullible, but Alessandro was a happy kid regardless, which was why she immediately sensed something was off about him.

“The teachers? What did they talk to you about, sweetie?”

Alessandro fidgeted, hesitant to speak, but after Elizabeta’s heartwarming touches to the shoulder to let him know it was okay, he voiced his concerns. “They think that I’m not… not learning English a-as fast as I should be. They said I should be i-imp… improving. I should be like my sister, Anita.”

Elizabeta frowned, not expecting to hear him say that. “Is it because you stutter? Honey, that’s nothing to worry about. You have exceptional grammatical skills, and you grasp English well enough to make a conversation, so what if it takes you a little longer to communicate your thoughts, or if there’s some pauses in between? Don’t compare yourself to Anita, she has a hard time with English too even if you can’t tell. You know, as twins, you definitely share similar characteristics. But anyway, your teachers need some common sense beat into them, who are they? You’re not in trouble, Ale, you can talk to me.”

“Mamma and papa already beat you to it, they s-saw what happened so they went to the p-prin… prinspal’s office.”

“Principal, dear. Well, that’s good, I know your mom is a very scary person, he must be yelling at the principal right now while your dad stays behind and probably charms all the teachers with his looks.”

Alessandro giggled at the imagery, not surprised if that was the case. His mom was very fierce, ‘refusing to take any bullshit’, as he had said once. He didn’t hesitate to intervene when there was a problem, especially when it concerned his twins. His dad never provoked anyone, in fact he rarely had to do anything at all because his appearance made others want to please him instead of fight him. Others thought his dad was a model or a celebrity, but that wasn’t the case. His dad could get scary when he wanted to, though, but that almost never happened. He was glad to have them as his parents.

“You said Andrew was looking for me? E-Earlier?”

“Oh, yeah, how could I forget? We were about to leave, really, but he wanted to find you first, say goodbye probably. He was taking too long though so Gilbert went to get him. They should be back soon, we’ll wait. Your parents will most likely take a while, as well. You want to see Andrew, right?”

“Of course! He wants to see me, too. I should… send him off, too, right? ‘Cause he won’t be coming here anymore…” Alessandro smiled sadly, forgetting that Andrew was just promoted to middle school. They won’t be seeing each other during recess anymore, or at any other time after that if Andrew became busy with middle school and didn’t have time for him. It devastated him more than he thought it would.

“Ale, you’ll still see each other. You boys won’t be separated no matter what, I guarantee it. Even if you don’t attend the same school for a while, you’ll get to reunite in Andrew’s last year of middle school.”

“B-But, then he’ll just leave again next year, right? And he’ll be without me for another two grades until I reach high school.”

“That’s… true, but you’re thinking too ahead, love. Remember, you’ll still see him. Come over whenever you want; Andrew can go over to your house, too. Meet up during breaks or us parents can set something up.” Elizabeta smiled, pleased to know that someone was trying to look after her son and be with him. Alessandro was a true blessing.

“Okay…”

Just as they finished their conversation, Gilbert and Andrew returned to the auditorium. Andrew looked terribly upset at being unable to locate his friend, and he looked almost tearful. He had his head down the entire time they walked closer, unaware that Alessandro was with his mom. Gilbert spotted them and grinned when he saw the young boy they couldn’t find. He pushed his son forward suddenly, a laugh erupting from him.

“He was here all along, son! Jeez, making me run after you, you’re lucky I’m still young enough to do so! Go say what you wanted to Ale now, go on.”

Andrew’s head snapped up quickly, stunned by his father’s words. He was right, Alessandro was right in front of him. He dashed and gave the younger boy no time to do or say anything as he jumped on him and hugged him tight.

“Where were you?! I was looking for you everywhere! I was about to go home without saying anything to you, how could I do that?! I would’ve missed you  _forever_!”

Alessandro let out a squeak as he was squished in Andrew’s arms. He didn’t want this to be a sad goodbye but the way things were headed, he knew they’d both end up crying. It was just a race now to see who cried first.

Andrew didn’t let go for a while, prompting Alessandro to pat his back to get him off. Andrew obeyed, and when he let go it was obvious there were tears gathering in his eyes. He burst into tears, and Alessandro managed to hold his own back for a second before he followed.

“I-I would miss you, too! Dont’t l-leave me behind!” he sobbed.

Andrew held his hands as he cried. “Don’t be silly! I would never leave you behind! I’m just moving on, y-you’ll follow, too, r-right?”

“I will! I will s-so… don’t be lonely without me!”

Andrew nodded vigorously, promising to himself to always think about Alessandro if he did feel lonely, which he knew would be more often than not. At home or at school, without the young boy he’d long for the company - he didn’t have any siblings or close friends, after all. They remained a sobbing mess for a while longer until Gilbert gently pried them apart.

“I hate to ruin a goodbye, but we also have to go home, Andrew. You have to go home, too, Ale. Your parents are probably done arguing with the principal and waiting for you and Anita. You’ll see each other again, okay? C’mon kid, we’ll walk you to the gate.”

They all walked outside towards the main entrance. Elizabeta saw Alessandro’s family first and led the boy to them. Anita hugged her brother and waved at Andrew from afar, Andrew doing the same. Both families exchanged pleasantries before going their own way. Elizabeta opened the door for Andrew once they reached their car, and he hoped inside. The ride home had never been as gloomy as it was that day, but Andrew knew he’d see Alessandro soon. He had to - he’d go insane otherwise.

 _See you, Ale_  was his last thought as he was lulled to sleep by the car’s motion.

****

Middle school wasn’t easy. It’s not that the classes were hard - Andrew was confident he could pass every class. It was socializing that was difficult. Contrary to his beliefs, he  _did_ make friends, and he was close enough to them to talk about random things or copy off of their homework when needed. The problem was that he couldn’t really  _connect_ with them. It almost felt like the beginning of elementary school again. They were his friends, per se, but they didn’t trust him with their personal problems and neither did he. They didn’t bond with him like best friends, they were more of just classmates. They didn’t invite each other over anywhere. His friends thought they were cooler than everyone and always talked about girls as if those girls weren’t present when they did. It didn’t interest Andrew to be with them more than he had to, because they weren’t people he could entirely rely on, or talk to, or laugh or share experiences with.

They weren’t  _Ale_.

Andrew missed Alessandro a lot. They did keep in touch and saw each other often, so he didn’t have a reason to miss him so bad, but he just  _did_. He started to think that perhaps he liked Alessandro more than just friends, but that boundary was a blurred mess that no one ever talked about, so he couldn’t determine anything for sure. He got bored easily, too. With no one around at school to have deep conversations with, he felt incredibly lonely. At least the students didn’t think of him weirdly, but that’s because they didn’t think about him at all.

When sex education classes rolled by, mandatory for everyone in his grade, Andrew didn’t really think much about it. He’d heard most of it before from his parents, and sex was no secret around the students who were discovering that side of themselves. He wasn’t interested. Some girls had previously tried to get along with him, something he didn’t mind, but when he realized they were only trying to use him for his body he cut off all connections to them. They weren’t understanding, however, and called him all sorts of things. None of the words fazed him, but one did pique his interest.

Gay.

He’d have to ask his parents to elaborate further on that one. He knew what it meant, but that’s not the reason he would ask.

On the last day sex ed classes were being held, it occurred to him that the lady giving the presentation had only talked about men and women having sex. When she gave the class the option to write down anonymous questions, Andrew figured he’d ask one. She read some out loud, not outing anyone of course, and he stopped paying attention until he heard his question being said.

“Alright, someone asked: ‘What about two boys having sex? That also happens.’”

The students snickered, finding it funny that someone would dare ask. Andrew didn’t find it funny at all. Some dumbass raised his hand and talked before the lady could say anything.

“Miss, isn’t it basically the same? Stick it in, then pull out. As easy as doing a girl. Can’t pinch a guy’s boobs though, they ain’t got none.”

The lady reprimanded the boy quickly for his language and insensitivity. Andrew thought his question wouldn’t get answered, with how long the lady was stalling. Guess he’d have to ask his parents that, too. No one gave him any answers. To his complete surprise, though, the lady continued.

“First of all, you don’t just penetrate anyone, girl or boy. That’s the wrong way to go about things. Second, if foreplay is on your mind, then you can also do that.” She directed her answer to the dumbass, but she was indirectly answering him, too. “Both men and women can be stimulated through their nipples, it’s not exclusive to just women. For men, the prostate is the gland that secretes fluid, which is also one of the components of semen. Its muscles help the fluid into the urethra during ejaculation. For the obvious answer, it’s what you’d informally call ‘the male g-spot’, so men can definitely feel pleasure if their prostate is stimulated, whether it’s using fingers, sex toys, or their partner’s penis. But to prevent the risk of STIs or pregnancy, condoms should be used and everything should be cleaned so the partner being penetrated is safe. That’ll be the last question I answer, so your teacher can now resume class. Thank you for having me over.”

The lady finished the rest of her formalities and made her exit, and the students were left in silence at the serious answer. That dumbass kid muttered under his breath, but did nothing else. Andrew couldn’t care less about him, all he could focus on was the answer to his question. He figured something along those lines when he thought about boys having sex, but it’s been cleared in his mind now.

He stored that information away if he ever decided to put it to practical use some day.

Andrew's demeanor changed for the better when he reached his third year of middle school. It was his last year, but it was Alessandro’s first year coming to the same school. It was about time, now they could spend even  _more_ time together. A few months had passed since Andrew saw Alessandro last, but they had kept in contact through their phones. Both boys received them as presents a year ago, and they had been overjoyed. Even if they couldn’t be face to face, the digital contact was enough to keep them satisfied.

Andrew was excited to see his best friend again. It was the first day of school, and even though his classes were entirely different from Alessandro’s, he could still see him in the mornings, during lunch, and after class. They could walk home together, too! It wasn’t very far, maybe a fifteen or twenty minute walk. They weren't allowed to walk home by themselves as the area they lived in wasn't entirely safe, but if they had each other it was manageable. Their parents were busy, too; they couldn’t always come pick them up.

Andrew waited during lunch for Alessandro to meet up with him. He had missed his chance in the morning, unfortunately, as he came late to class. Alessandro said he was on his way to the cafeteria, so Andrew waited, lunch in tow. He was oblivious to his surroundings as he only stared at his phone for any incoming messages. Just as he wished that Alessandro would hurry up, someone poked his lower back and he jolted. He quickly turned around to glare at whoever did that, but softened up the moment he saw his best friend standing there with a pleased grin.

“It’s me, silly!” Alessandro grinned wider and opened his arms, ready to accept a hug.

But Andrew didn’t move. He couldn’t, not when Alessandro’s appearance locked him in place. If he thought he was pretty before, he definitely looked beautiful now. It had only been a few months, there shouldn’t have been such a huge difference, but Alessandro’s hair had grown out so much that it hung close to his waist. He looked very… feminine, for lack of a better word. Andrew wasn’t complaining. He had also lost some weight, nothing drastic but enough for his jawline to peek through and for his sweater to look a little baggy. Alessandro always liked baggy clothes, especially if they were Andrew’s, since he wore a bigger size. His features hadn’t changed much, but his eyes sparkled in a mesmerizing way, and - call him crazy - but his lips appeared to be fuller, too. Maybe it was just the grin that he hadn’t stopped sporting the entire time Andrew analyzed him.

“Hello? Andrew? Why aren’t you doing anything?” He flailed is open arms around, reminding Andrew that he was awaiting a hug. “Are you… not glad to see me?” His smile dropped, and his arms started lowering, and in that moment Andrew felt that if he didn’t hug him, hold him close and feel his body heat, surround himself entirely with him, he would never get to do so again.

So he dived right in before Alessandro could lower his arms completely. He hugged him tight without saying a word, lowering his head onto the crook of Alessandro’s neck and breathing in his scent. He smelled nice, like coconut or vanilla or any other pleasantly sweet scent. He knew it was just the boy’s soap or body wash or something, but he couldn’t get enough of it. He smelled nice,  _felt_ nice, too, all wrapped in his arms. He heard Alessandro let out a soft sigh, perhaps a sigh of relief at being reunited, and he felt the boy’s arms circle around to hug him back. It only urged him to squeeze tighter, this time just to get a reaction. Alessandro groaned and pushed weakly against him, but couldn’t free himself from Andrew’s death grip.

“Enough, Andrew!” he whined, the sound coming high from his throat. His voice had yet to break. “I missed you, too, but let go!”

Andrew liked hearing his voice, it was boyish but it felt so familiar, like coming home. Alessandro also didn’t stutter anymore; his verbal skills had vastly improved over the years. Sometimes he would, though, if he got nervous or stressed, but it was minimal. He lifted his head up from the boy’s neck and glanced at him, a pout evident on his face. “Don’t you want me to hug longer? I haven’t seen you in forever. You’ve changed.”

“I haven’t changed at all; you have, though.”

Alessandro could see the question in Andrew’s eyes, and he huffed out a laugh before patting him on the back to let go. Andrew complied, and Alessandro took in his appearance again. He was miffed that he  _still_ had to look up into Andrew’s gaze, as the older boy was  _still_ taller than him. He’d get taller one day, too. Andrew had put on some weight, but it was the healthy kind and it made him look mature. Although he didn’t have much facial hair to begin with, Andrew’s eyebrows looked fuller, and in the sunlight, his red eyes lightened up considerably. He could tell they currently held so much affection for him, and they stared intently into his own eyes. It made him blush when he remembered how deeply Andrew cared for him. Andrew was still staring at him, and he quickly looked away.

“I-I mean, you look older, is all! Eyebrows, jawline, mustache coming through - I see it, alright - you just… just look g-good, healthy.”

“You’re stuttering. You think I look good?” He didn’t need confirmation, but he wanted to hear it still.

“ _Healthy_ ,” he emphasized.

“Well I think you look  _healthy_ , too. Your pretty hair is longer, you also have a jawline, and soon you’ll get a mustache just like me - a _beard_ even!.”

“Not if I shave it off, I wouldn’t want to look unkempt like you.”

“Unkempt?! I’ll show you unkempt!” Andrew began rubbing his chin on Alessandro’s cheek, making sure he could feel his stubble just to agitate him.

Alessandro squealed and tried to back away, but was caught at the last moment. “Okay, okay! I surrender! Get your chin hairs away from me, you beast!”

Andrew let him go and smirked. “Couldn’t handle the beast, I see. Whatever.” He suddenly remembered that they had yet to eat anything and grabbed Alessandro’s hand, making him sit down by the stairs. “Let’s share food, I think the lunch ladies are gone by now. Sorry you couldn’t get your lunch.” He offered the boy some of his own, and Alessandro took it cheerfully.

“It’s okay, just means you owe me now.”

“Yeah? I’ll buy you food next time, then.”

“No, I don’t want you to owe me food. Just to… owe me in general. I’ll decide what you owe me for later, deal?”

He shrugged, not minding Alessandro’s request. “Alright, if that’s how you want it. Just tell me beforehand when you decide.”

“Okay!"

****

Sharing lunch with Alessandro sometimes meant sharing lunch with Anita, as well. They were siblings, so they came to school together and left together. Andrew didn’t mind, he actually became good friends with her, which surprised him at first because he could never stay friends with someone long enough to get to know them. Anita was an exception; she was Alessandro’s sister so there was already an established connection. She was wary of Andrew at first, not knowing his intentions, but she learned that he meant no harm and treated her brother with all the care in the world. In fact, she sensed there may be an even stronger bond between them but never mentioned it.

Anita was extremely protective of her brother. Any wrong look or word directed at him would end instantaneously with her jumping in to fight. Her opponents always gave up easily though. Because of her presence, no one dared to bully Alessandro or speak ill of him. Combined with Andrew’s presence, no one dared to even  _think_ badly about him. Alessandro was kind-hearted anyway, not a single evil bone within him. He was so honest and kind, beautiful no less, that those around him would completely fall for his charms and surrender to him. Alessandro had no idea he held that much power and never believed Andrew or Anita when they told him - he was as average as everyone else, obviously.  _Of course not_ , they’d retort, and he would just leave it at that.

Halfway through the year, Anita was the first to reach puberty. She knew all about it, just like Andrew had when he went through his own phase. Alessandro had been thrown for a loop, however. He knew most things, but it still embarrassed him a little when Anita told him to get tampons one day during class. She texted him and his eyes widened.

 

From: Sorella

_Ale, go get me tampons from the girls bthrm_

To: Sorella

_You want me to go to the girl’s bathroom to get… tampons?_

From: Sorella

_Yeah, hurry up! Period started, I’m a grown woman now_

_I’m also on the toilet so I can’t move_

 

Alessandro blushed at reading the words, not wanting to know what was going on. Regardless, he was concerned about her health.

 

To: Sorella

_Ok… but why tampons? Not pads? Girls usually get those first_

_Also, why not ask a girl near you?_

 

From: Sorella

_Pads r 4 pussies, that’s y. Get me sum anyway, tho, just in case_

_Girls around me r bitches, I don’t want their shit_

_Hurry!!! U want me 2 bleed out?_

 

Horrified at the thought, Alessandro quickly shoved some quarters into his pocket and bolted out of his seat to the nearest girl’s bathroom. There was one down the hallway, and he entered after hesitating for a brief moment. Luckily there was no one inside. He fumbled with the quarters and put them in the dispenser one by one, getting a pad and tampon every time. He didn’t know how many to get, but four each seemed reasonable enough. He was getting the last pad when he heard a group of girls walk in. He froze, afraid to move in case they recognized him or knew he was a boy in a girl’s bathroom. His long hair covered his face, however, and his small physique helped. They passed by without even acknowledging him, so he was still safe. He let out a sigh of relief and grabbed the last pad, making a quick dash to the exit. He opened the door and came face to face with another girl, this time someone older than him. The girl frowned down at him and Alessandro thought he was busted, in trouble for being somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. His fear paralyzed him and he couldn’t make out any words, but he didn’t have to as the older girl spoke.

“Are you okay? That’s a lot of items there. Are you helping out another girl? That must suck.” She walked past him and as the door was closing, she called back out. “Good luck with your period, hers too!”

The door closed and he stared at it, dumbfounded. He had never been as glad as he was in that moment to be mistaken for a girl. Alessandro scurried away and ventured around campus for a while, trying to locate Anita.

 

To: Sorella

_Where are you?? What bathroom?_

From: Sorella

_The one to the right of my class. Down the hallway_

To: Sorella

_Ok, I’m coming_

 

Alessandro found the bathroom, and he hoped yet again that there was no one inside. There were other girls occupying the stalls, though, and he quickly texted Anita again.

 

To: Sorella

_What stall?! I’m right here!_

_This is embarrassing hurry up_

From: Sorella

_All the way down, the biggest stall!_

_Scaredy cat_

 

He sighed and slid all the items under the biggest stall. His phone buzzed afterwards.

 

From: Sorella

_Thx!!!!!!!!_

To: Sorella

_(＞_＜)_

 

Alessandro left immediately, able to make it out without anyone seeing him. He returned to class safely, no one questioning why he was gone. He texted Andrew about his experience.

 

To: Andrew

_Anita just asked me for pads and tampons, can you believe it?_

From: Andrew

_Lmaooooo I bet she just demanded them, huh?_

To: Andrew

_Yeah, I had to go to the girls bathroom_

_Someone saw me but just thought I was a girl_

From: Andrew

_You do look like a girl_

_Prettier than one tho_

To: Andrew

_I know I look like a girl, don’t rub it in!_

From: Andrew

_Not just appearance, you’re prettier inside too_

_Caring, sincere, loyal, you’re like_

_Better than most girls_

To: Andrew

_Don’t really want to be compared to girls though..._

From: Andrew

_Alrighty then, you’re just a pretty boy_

_With a pretty heart_

_Beat all the boys already, they’re trash lol_

To: Andrew

_You’re not trash_

From: Andrew

_I don’t count ;)_

_By all standards I’m a man, not a boy_

To: Andrew

_Suuuure_

From: Andrew

_Geez thanks for the vote of confidence_

To: Andrew

_I didn’t mean it :(_

From: Andrew

_I know, just love to tease <3_

To: Andrew

_> :(_

From: Andrew

_:))))_

_Get back to class, Ale_

_Wouldn't want you to get in trouble_

To: Andrew

_Ok, don't get in trouble either_

_See you after class!_


End file.
